Shumate was found guilty of accepting bribes from Mid America Services Inc., a Dallas-based food service company, and its staff late Thursday night by a jury of 12 women.

Shumate was stripped of his elected position immediately, and Capt. Roger Haney was appointed acting sheriff by Visiting Judge Quay Parker shortly after midnight.

Haney was sworn in Friday morning and said the agency still is coping.

"There have been a lot of emotions," Haney said Friday afternoon. "It's been a struggle."

Potter County commissioners meet Friday and will decide whether to keep Haney or appoint a new sheriff to finish out Shumate's term.

Haney said he would finish out the term if it was offered, but some commissioners argue Haney is too close to Shumate be effective.

Commissioners Manny Perez, Joe Kirkwood and Lacy Borger all said they would prefer to have someone from outside the office.

"I think it's time to bring someone in from the outside, someone with knowledge of running the sheriff's office, and clean house," Kirkwood said.

Perez said he flatly didn't want Haney.

"If we are going to appoint somebody, we better appoint somebody that is not in with the old sheriff," Perez said.

Others think Haney's experience in the sheriff's office is needed.

"I would tend to not want to rattle the cage right now because it is such a shortened time frame," Commissioner Alphonso Vaughn said. "I'm not sure it serves the county well to go out and get someone new."

County Judge Arthur Ware said there are legal issues to consider until a final order is handed down from Parker.

"Nobody knows anything until the final order comes from the district judge," he said.

Shumate was flanked by two constables while the guilty verdict was read, and two bailiffs and two FBI agents looked on. Several women of the jury cried and one openly sobbed as they were escorted out of the courtroom.

Shumate spent Friday morning in protective custody at the jail and is separated from the general population.

Shumate will appear Tuesday morning for the punishment portion of the trial. He faces up to a life sentence in prison. If the jury sentences him to less than 10 years in prison, he will be eligible to seek probation.

Selden Hale, Shumate's attorney, filed paperwork in January stating if found guilty Shumate would ask for probation.

Hale said Friday probation is typically given in nonviolent cases for first offenders and for people who can show they can make probation "and deserve a second chance." Any decision on seeking an appeal will be made after the punishment phase, Hale said.

Beverly Shumate, the former wife of Mike Shumate and a key witness for the prosecution, was not in court as the verdict was read and would not comment Friday.

Vince Nowak, Beverly Shumate's attorney, spoke for her.

"She did want me to emphasize the fact this is not the case of a woman scorned and she is not the 'meanest woman in Amarillo,'" Nowak said. "I think this jury in particular followed the evidence and I don't think it was a very easy decision for them to make. She's waiting to see what the sentence is going to be and she has tremendous faith in the jury system."